Rugby League: Scotland 22 - 60 Wales - Wales inflict record home defeat on Scots with superb attacking show

Wales put themselves in serious contention for a place in the Rugby League Four Nations tournament in 2011 with this stunning victory in Glasgow.

They inflicted a record home defeat on Scotland with 24 points in the last 12 minutes, Warrington winger Rhys Williams and Crusaders' full-back Elliott Kear both scoring hat-tricks, while Gareth Thomas got his second try in international rugby league.

It was Warrington star Lee Briers who pulled the strings for Wales, earning the man of the match award for conducting their offensive display, even without his eight conversions.

No-one could have expected this scoreline. With the previous six meetings ending in three wins apiece, these are extremely well-matched nations.

Neither side could afford to lose, with daunting trips to France yet to come and that was reflected in the line-ups. It could be said to be the strongest Wales team fielded for almost a decade, and Scotland have rarely looked as good on paper with the exception of the 2008 World Cup. The Bravehearts included 11 players with Super League experience, Wales 14, including Gareth Thomas who was playing just his 15th game of rugby league.

In a blustery wind, kicking was difficult to direct. Wales earned a breakthrough when scrum-half Danny Jones broke the line and fed Rhys Williams a try on the left. Briers converted for a 6-0 lead. But Williams dropped the kick-off and from the next set Hull KR star Ben Fisher scored by the posts, Brough converting. Elliott Kear broke the line on halfway to race clear and put Wales ahead again on 14 minutes.

But Wales had found Scotland's Achilles' heel: their back three failed time and again to deal with Briers' high kicks.

Rob Lunt dropped one and seconds later Kear was over for his second try, then Mark Lennon squeezed inside the corner flag to touch down another Briers kick. Soon after Lunt was failing to deal with another Briers bomb and Lloyd White bulldozed his way over, Briers' conversion making it 26-6, a points a minute for the reigning European champions.

Scotland needed something special and they got it, replacement hooker Andrew Henderson scampering across the line from close range twice in three minutes, Brough converting both to reduce the Wales lead to just 18-26 at the break.

But that was as close as Scotland got. Williams got his second three minutes into the second half and Thomas was gifted his from another mis-fielded Briers' crossfield kick on 50 minutes. Fisher pulled a try back and the Dragons were on the backfoot with still 25 minutes for Scotland to get claw back another 14 points. Instead the Bravehearts forced the issue, made errors and Wales punished them with four tries in the last 12 minutes.

Scorers: Scotland: Tries: Fisher (10, 55), A Henderson (34, 37); Goals: Brough 3.Wales: Williams (5, 43, 71), Kear (14, 18, 68), Lennon (21), White (25), Thomas (50), Emmitt (75), James (80). Goals Brier 8

Scotland: Rob Lunt (Doncaster); Jamie Benn (Castleford Panthers); Joe Wardle (Huddersfield Giants); Kevin Henderson (Wakefield Trinity Wildcats); Jon Steel (Featherstone Rovers); Brendan Lindsay (Sheffield Eagles); Danny Brough (Huddersfield Giants); Oliver Wilkes (Harlequins); Ben Fisher (Hull KR) (c); Mitch Stringer (Sheffield Eagles); Alex Szostak (Sheffield Eagles); Sam Barlow (Halifax); Dale Ferguson (Wakefield Trinity Wildcats). Subs: Andrew Henderson (Sheffield Eagles); Neil Lowe (Hunslet Hawks); Paddy Coupar (Workington Town); Jack Howieson (Sheffield Eagles)

Wales: Elliot Kear; Mark Lennon, Christiaan Roets, Gareth Thomas, Rhys Williams, Lee Briers (c), Danny Jones (, Jordan James, Lloyd White, Jacob Emmitt, Chris Beasley, Aled James, Ian Webster. Subs: Ben Flower, Gil Dudson, Jordan Ross, Neil Budworth.

Referee: T Alibert (Fra).

Attendance: 787